En gin es



-- Patented Apr. 25,1899.

J. s. EATON.

BUFFER DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SANDING ENGINES.

(Application filed A ug. 22, 1898.)

(No Model.)

H Q) a I; v m i N a l fik 1 R0 5 z I P w JOSEPH S. EATON, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE IWIASON MACHINE WVORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

DOFFER-DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CARDING-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,950, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed August 22, 1898-. Serial No. 689,208. (No model.)

T0 at whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. EATON, of Taunton,county of Bristol,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Doffer-Driving Mechanism for Carding-Engines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

The doffers of revolving-flat cards as previously constructed have, as far as I am aware, usually been driven by means'of a belt from the licker-in to a pulley, and thence by one or more gears supported by a lever. The latter, being pivoted at one end, may be raised to bring said gears, or one of them, into mesh with a suitable gear secured to the dotfer-shaft. In this way the doffer is driven at a constant speed or thrown out of gear and stopped by a reverse movement of the lever; but upon starting the apparatus a severe strain is brought upon the few teeth of each gear in mesh, which is liable to cause breakage. In piecing up the sliver from doifer to coiler when the constant speed is required to be high for large production it is desirable to have a slow-starting speed to prevent making a large amount of waste, as is commonly the case, especially if the attendant is not an adept. Also in starting the card under certain atmospheric conditions it is desirable to use a slower speed for the doffer than the high-running speed, as it may be termed. Attempts have been made recently to satisfy this requirement of two speeds for the doffer, one construction contemplating running two belts from the licker-in with different-sized pulleys. Other devices employ interposed trains of gearing and a second lever by which either speed mechanism maybe broughtinto mesh with the dofter-gear at will. In the first-named construction the lack of room, without increasing the floor-space, necessitates the belts being narrow and impracticable, and in the second case the gears, being small, are subject to severe strains.

My present invention has for its object the production of means to overcome all liability to breakage and by the use of which the doffer may be driven at either of two speeds and be readily changed from one to the other or stopped altogether by or through the operation of a single cont-rolling device.

Figure 1,iu side elevation and partly broken out to save space, represents a sufficient portion of a carding-engine to be understood, with one embodiment of my invention applied thereto, the apparatus being shown as running at high speed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged do tail in plan of the dolfer-driving mechanism to be described. Fig. 3 is a transverse sec tional view thereof on the line m 00, Fig. 2, looking to the right. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged details, in side and end elevation, of the controller in slow-speed or starting position; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof in stopping position.

Referring to Fig. l, the side beam A, cylinder B, doffer C, and licker-in B may be and are all of well-known or usual construction in carding-engines, the licker-in shaft having fast thereon a pulley B, connected with and to drive a pulley D by a suitable belt D This pulley D is mounted on the doffer-lever F by a stud d, the hub 61' of the pulley having attached to or forming part of it a gear (Z Figs. 1 and 2, which is the main or actuating gear for driving the doffer, the latter being provided with a large gear 0 The lever F is fulcrumed at f on a boss A on the main frame, the free end of the lever being upturned atf, as shown in Fig. 1, and extended through the apron P, the controller, to be hereinafter described, being pivotally connected with the upturned end of the lever. A shouldered stud e mounted on the lever, receives upon it a large gear 6, in continuous mesh with the actuator d and a small gear 6, connected with the gear e in any suitable manner, the stud e being secured in a segmentally-slotted depending earf on the lever F, whereby connected gears of different diameters can be substituted for the gear 6', by means of which change-gear the doffer can be run at different speeds to govern the product of the card, which speed is usually between eight and fourteen revolutions per minute.

When the doffer-lever F is in its highest position, as in Fig. 1, the small gear 8' is in mesh with and drives the doffer-gear 0 at its high or running speed.

The lever F has an upturned earf to which is secured a shouldered stud W, on which is mounted a large gear 71, having a long hub h, 011 which rotates a small gear 7L2, the latter being always in mesh with the doffer-gear c whatever the position of lever F, while the gear h is continuously in mesh with the actuator (V. The gear h is provided within its rim with an annular friction-surface 7L3, Fig. 3, which constitutes one member of a clutch, the cooperating member 7r being formed on or secured to the gear 7L2, the gear h overhanging the latter member.

In Fig. 3 the earf is shown in dotted lines, and the stud 71 is broken off at its inner end to more clearly show adjacent portions of the mechanism, the outer end of the stud being threaded and having a nut 71? thereon, holding in place a washer to, which retains the gear 7&2 on the hub of the gear h.

Between the webs of the clutch members and surrounding the hub h I have shown a coiled spring 8, whose office is to normally separate the clutch-surfaces 7L3 h, the gear it being thereby pushed inward against a collar 7., loosely mounted on the stud 7L between said gear and the ear f on the doffer-lcver.

The boss A has bolted to it a bracket m, which is extended back of the doffer-lever,

and has a U-shaped end on back of the ear f, the limbs of such portion being outwardly extended to form lugs m beveled at their outer ends and in the paths of similarly-beveled lugs or projections 7: on the collar 70. (See Figs. 2 and When the doffer-lever F is dropped to its lowest position, the engagement of the lugs m and it forces the collar It and gear h to the right, Fig. 3, throwing the clutch members 7L 7L" into engagement, so that the doffcr C will be driven at slow speed, this movement of the lever F being effected when starting the doffer. It will be remembered that when in such position the lever has lowered the gear 0 entirely out of engagement with the doffer-gear 0 and the starting of the doffer is effected without jerking or strain at slow speed about five revolutions per minute. After this the handle is raised to its highest position, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the springs releasing the clutch to permit the gear h to rotate freely, while the gear 6 is brought into engagement with the doffergear o to rotate the latter at high or running speed. 13y raising or lowering the bracket m the friction to be put on the clutch members may be varied. In its intermediate position the gears e and e are out of mesh and the pressure of the lugs m on the collar-lugs 7. is reduced sufliciently to prevent operation of the clutch, and the doffer is stopped.

To the upturned end f of thedoffer-lever, above the apron P, I have pivotally connected the controller N, shown as having a handle it and a cam-foot n, the part 2 of said foot bcing nearest the pivot a ,while the ends 3 and at of the foot are unequally distant therefrom, each greater than the distance between the part 2 and the pivot. N ow when the controller is turned to the right, as in Fig. 1, the too at rests on the apron at one side of deadcenter and the doffer-lever is in its highest position, the doffer being run at high speed. If the controller is swung upright, (see Figs. 4 and 5,) the lever is in its lowest position, the distance between points a and 2 being the shortest, and the doffer will be run at slow speed, the gear 6' being out of mesh with doffer-gear e By swinging the controller over to the left, Fig. 6, its too 3 resting on the apron past dead-center, the intermediate position of the lever F is attained, and as both slow and high speed gearings will be out of operation the doifer will be stopped. When the controller is in slowspeed position, Fig. 4:, the slightly-flattened part 2 of the camfoot resting on the apron will retain said controller in such position until positively moved therefrom. In its other two positions the controlleris past dead-center; but to prevent accidental movement, as by the jarring of the apparatus, I prefer to provide the foot with a stop l0 near the too 4. and adapted to engage a fixed stop 17 on the apron when the controller is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Then the controller is swung to the right, as in Fig. 1, or to the left, as in Fig. (3, corresponding, respectively, to the extreme upper position of the doffer-lever or its intermediate stopping position, a lug 30 on the controller engages a ribf on the inner side of the upturned end f of the doffer-lever, preventing the controller from turning too far.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the starting, running at high speed, and the stopping of the doffer are controlled by a single controller, adapted to be moved by the operator into one of its several positions.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown herein, for changes or alterations may be made in the apparatus herein shown without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carding-engine, a doffer, low-speed starting mechanism including a clutch, highspeed mechanism, a common movable support for said mechanisms, and a single controller for and movable relatively to said support and having two positions of rest, movement of the controller in the one or the other of such positions changing the position of the support and effecting the cooperation of one or the other speed mechanism with the doffer.

2. In a carding-engine, the doffer, low-speed starting mechanism including a clutch, highspeed mechanism, and a single controller for said mechanisms, having two positions of rest, movement of said controller into one of such positions eifecting the cooperation of the former mechanism to start the doffer at low speed, movement of the controller thereafter into its other position acting to release the clutch and effect cooperation of the high-speed mechanism with the doffer.

3. In a carding-engine, the doffer, low and high speed mechanisms therefor having a common actuator, the low-speed mechanism including a clutch,a rocking support on which said mechanisms and their actuator are mounted, means operated by movement of the actuator to govern the clutch, and a single controller for and movable relatively to said support, said controller having two positions of rest, whereby movement thereof into one or other of such positions will effect the cooperation of the high or low speed mechanism with the doffer and correspondingly release or throw said clutch into operation.

4. In a carding-engine, the doffer,low-speed starting mechanism including a clutch, highspeed mechanism, a common support for said mechanisms and a single controller for and movable relatively to said support into three different positions of rest, movement of the controller into one or another of such positions acting upon the support and effecting the cooperation of one or other speed mech anism with the doffer, or withdrawing both from cooperation with the doffer, to stop the latter.

5. In a carding-engine, the doffer provided with a gear, a lever, two sets of gearing and a common actuator therefor all mounted on said lever, one set including a gear in continuous mesh with the doffer-gear, a frictionclutch between it and the actuator, and governing means for the clutch operated by movement of the lever, combined witha hand-controller connected with and movable relatively to the lever and having three positions of rest, to effect the starting, running at high speed, and stopping of the doffer.

6. In a carding-engine,the combination with a doffer having a gear, a doffer-lever, a driving-pulley mounted thereon and having an attached gear,.and two sets of intermediate gears between the pulley and doffer gears, one of said sets including a friction-clutch, of means to retain the doffer-lever in any one of aplurality of positions to thereby effect the cooperation of one or other of the sets of intermediate gears with the doffer-gear, orto throw both sets out of operation.

7. In a carding-engine,the combination with a doffer having a gear, a doffenlever, a drivin g-pulley mounted thereon and havingan attached gear,starting-gearing intermediate the doffer and pulley gears, including a frictionclutch, means operative upon movement of the doffer-lever to control said clutch, and

high-speed gearingalso mounted on said lever and adapted to be moved into or out of cooperation with the doffer-gear, movement of said lever in one direction first effecting the operation of the doffer ata slow speed through the starting-gearing, continued movement of the lever in the same direction efiecting the operation of the doffer by the high-speed gearing as the clutch of the starting-gearing is released.

8. In a carding-engine,the combination with a doffer having a gear, a doffer-lever, a driving-pulley mounted thereon and having an attached gear,starting-gearin g intermediate the doffer and pulley gears, including a frictionclutch, means operative upon movement of the doffer-lever to control said clutch, and high-speed gearing also mounted on said lever and adapted to be moved into or out of cooperation with the doffer-gear, movement of said lever in one direction first effecting the operation of the doffer at a slow speed through the starting-gearing, continued movement of the lever in the same direction effecting the operation of the doffer by the high-speed gearing as the clutch of the starting-gearing is released by or through such movement of the lever, combined with a hand-controller for and movable relatively to said lever, to effect its movement and retain it in desired position.

9. In a carding-engine, the doffer provided with a gear, a doffer-lever, an actuating-gear mounted thereon, intermediate gears carried by said lever and in mesh with said doffer and actuating gears, a spring-controlled frictionclutch to connect said intermediate gears, means, including a cam, to throw the clutch into operation against its spring when the lever is moved, and speed-gearing in continuous mesh with the actuating-gear and adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with the dofier-gear by movement of the dofferlever.

10. In a carding-engine, the doffer provided with a gear, a doffer-lever, an actuating-gear mounted thereon, intermediate gears carried by said lever and in mesh with said doffer and actuating gears, a spring-controlled frictionclutch to connect said intermediate gears, means, including a cam, to throw the clutch into operation against its spring when the lever is moved, and speed-gearing in continuous mesh with the actuating-gear and adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with the doffer-gear by movement of the dofferlever, combined with a hand-controller pivotally connected with the doffer-lever and provided with a cam-face, engagement of different portions of said cam-face with a fixed part of the apparatus retaining the lever in corresponding different positions to effect changes in the operation of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribiu g witnesses.

JOSEPH S. EATON.

Witnesses:

ALBERTO. FRANCIS, LEONARD O. OoUoH. 

